


Knight of the Night

by EpicNerd



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Knows, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Finds Out First, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Hurt/Comfort, Marichat, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, accidental reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:29:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28834188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpicNerd/pseuds/EpicNerd
Summary: Marinette confesses her feelings towards Adrien, but she is rejected. Adrien discovers Marinette’s identity, but he cannot bring himself to hurt her further by revealing what he knows.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 143





	1. Rejections and Revelations

Marinette felt like the air was trying to crush her. Alya wore a mischievous smile beside her, so the teen heroine tried to keep her eyes ahead at the board. No lesson of classic literature would be learned that day for the young Dupain-Cheng.

The two best friends had a sleepover the previous night, and they devised a plan for Marinette to finally confess her feelings to the one and only Adrien Agreste. It seemed a lot more doable last night. Now that she actually had to go through with it, Marinette wanted to just sprint back home.

Her eyes travelled down from the lesson to the love of her life, and the way the sunlight seeped through the windows to rest on his golden-blond hair made the butterflies go crazy in her stomach and her cheeks felt very warm. Her heart leaped out of her chest when the bell rang and he turned around, smiling at her, Alya, and Nino. The way that his green eyes shimmered when he was happy compelled Marinette to try to make him happy forever.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow. I have to get to my Chinese lessons," Adrien said, grounding Marinette.

Her head and eyes followed him as he stood up, placing the strap of his school bag on his shoulder. He walked towards the door, and, upon receiving an elbow to the rib, Marinette sprung up after him.

"Adrien!"

The blond turned around, lingering in the doorway, a confused yet content expression on his face.

"Can house I to your walk? I mean-! Can I walk you to your house? I want to, um," Marinette stole a glance from the corner of her eye at Alya, who discreetly nodded in encouragement, "I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure, Marinette. I'm sure my father wouldn't mind if you just walked me home."

The two teens smiled at each other, hers more goofy than his, and she placed her own backpack around her shoulders before the two departed from the school. Adrien waved to his driver, who just nodded and got back in the silver Agreste car, driving away without the boy. Marinette knew that she had a very limited time since Adrien lived nearby, so there was no room in the plan to try and psych herself up. It's now or never. It's now or never.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Adrien asked, somehow startling her.

"I, uh-! Well, you see, the thing is, um, I-I wanted to see if you were interested in park to going. I mean-! I wanted to know if you'd want to go to the park sometime with me!" she stumbled over her words, her palms sweaty.

"Sure, I'd love to! I'll see when my schedule's clear!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Who all's going?"

Upon realizing that he wasn't understanding, her smile dropped and she looked down at her feet dejectedly, but only for a moment.

"That's not what I meant," she said, surprising herself by how composed she sounded.

"Well, what did you mean?"

The two turned a corner, and there was the Agreste Mansion. Marinette balled her hands into fists and took a deep breath.

"I meant, just you and me."

Adrien's hand was now on the gate that opens up into the courtyard of his house. He looked at her quizzically, and she found the strength to finish her sentence.

"Like a date," she breathed, her words barely above a whisper.

His eyes widened in surprise and darted around them before his gaze fell to his shoes.

"I'm sorry, Marinette. You're a really sweet girl and I love our friendship, but my heart already belongs to someone else."

Her jaw clenched as her nails dug into her palms. She steeled herself and nodded, a forced smile on her face.

"That's okay. I love our friendship too. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Adrien agreed, guilt creeping up on him as he moved through the gate and closed it behind him.

Marinette couldn't move her muscles made of lead until the front door closed as well, sealing the two away from each other's line of vision. A blank expression on her face, she turned around, walking to her own house now. No coherent thought passed through her mind, and she had no drive beyond getting to her destination.

She didn't notice or react when Alya sprung on her, linking their elbows together.

"Did you ask him? Girl, tell me everything. What happened?" the blogger asks excitedly before noticing the other's mood.

She quickly sobered up, and her smile dropped as if it had never existed. She did not repeat her last question, knowing that her best friend is already trying to form the words of an answer.

"I didn't cry!" Marinette choked, tears pricking her eyes.

They both stopped walking, and Alya spun her friend to envelop her in a hug.

"Marinette, I'm so sorry."

"He loves someone else!" is all the raven-haired girl can get out before burying her face in her friend's chest, sobbing.

Unable to do anything else, Alya rubbed small circles on her friend's back, slowly moving both of them in the direction of the bakery. Opening the door, she just looked at Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng with a sorrowful expression as she silently guided Marinette through the empty shop, up the stairs, and into the girl's bedroom. Tom and Sabine stared after them with sadness, confusion, and worry.

Marinette, composed just enough to look around at where she now was, slunk over to her pink daybed, collapsing onto it as she clutches a pillow and pulled her knees up to her chest, her back to the rest of the room. She gazed up at the circular window in front of her at the sky that was dotted with white clouds that looked soft enough to sleep on for the rest of eternity.

Alya sat on the edge of the lounge chair, her hand resting on her friend's shoulder. With every breath that Marinette took, her whole body shuddered. Tom and Sabine stuck their heads through the trap door, but Alya just shook her head at them again, silently saying that their daughter just needed some time. Hesitantly, the parents retreated, yielding and trusting Alya to be there for Marinette.

"Is it Kagami?"

"He didn't say," the heroine mumbled, somehow curling into herself even more.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette."

"I should've known. Adrien's always referred to me as just a friend."

The last word came out bitter, and it felt such on her tongue. Exhaustion swallowed her like a darkness after the sun died. Her heart was heavy and her body was cold as if heat had never touched her. Alya didn't know what else to do, so she just took her phone out and began texting Nino, updating her boyfriend on the outcome of the plan he also knew about.

Marinette closed her eyes, hot and cold flashes making her uncomfortable. Choosing unconsciousness over reality, her breathing evens out and her body relaxes as she falls into a dreamless sleep.

Slowly, Alya got up, crossing over to the bed and pulling off one of the blankets. Crossing back over, she drapes it over Marinette's body, making sure to not wake the girl. Then, tiptoeing over to the desk, she writes a quick message on a sticky note that she puts on the other's backpack before easing the trapdoor open and leaving the room, her own heart heavy as guilt consumed her over pushing Marinette to confess.

The room now empty except for her holder, Tikki flutters out of the purse and up to Marinette's head, where she lays down and falls asleep as well, not knowing how else to be there for the girl.

* * *

Hours slip away and the sun falls behind the horizon to make way for a starry night. Marinette groggily wakes up to find a plate of food with a note from her parents and another note from Alya. Having no appetite, she pushes her dinner away, much to the silent dismay of her kwami.

She quickly scanned the notes before crumbling them up into balls and tossing them in her wastebasket. Then, with the help of Tikki, she began taking down the pictures of Adrien scattered in clusters around her room and throwing those away as well.

Little did either of them know that a certain black cat that was disguised by the night watched through the skylight window, green eyes wide as his jaw dropped, feeling as if he had been punched in the gut. He realized three fundamental truths at the exact same time.

"Marinette has a kwami. Marinette is with Ladybug's kwami. Marinette is-!" Chat said to himself, cutting his own sentence off in fear that someone might overhear him.

At the same time, it dawned on him that he had rejected the love of his life and surely broke her heart. A fraction of a second after that, he thought about how passionate Ladybug has always been about keeping their identities a secret, and he thought about how she'd be even more upset if she knew that he knew.

"Two for two, Chat. Way to go," he grumbled, mad at himself with the outcomes of his decisions for that day alone.

He slinks back into the shadows as Marinette opens the window and climbs up onto the balcony, crossing over wordlessly to the railing. No kwami was in sight, but Chat Noir knew what he saw; he knew that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug and Ladybug was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. His heart soared. His heart sunk. He wanted to reach out to her. He wanted to run away so that he couldn't hurt her again. For so long he wanted to know who she was behind the mask and to know that she loved him back. But, now that he has both, he's never felt more helpless.

"I know you're there," Marinette calls out without turning around.

Hesitantly, Chat jumps down from behind a chimney onto the balcony, landing a few feet away from her.

"You okay, Marinette?"

"I'm fine. Is there an akuma?"

She finally turns around, locking eyes with him. His heart falls to his feet as he sees how red and puffy her eyes are, and he wants to step forward and why away every single tear that he caused to exist.

"No. No akuma. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"What? Why?"

"Because of...my cat senses! Yeah, uh, I could just tell that you were sad."

"I'm not sad."

"Your eyes tell a different story, Purrincess."

At that, Marinette turns back around, using the sleeve on her arm to wipe her eyes. It was quiet, but Chat's ears twitched when she sniffled. Stepping forward, he jumps up so that he's perched on the railing that she's leaning on again.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, his whisper just above the light breeze cooling down the Parisian night.

"It's just...there's this boy in my class, and I've liked him for a really long time. My friend convinced me to finally tell him, but...it didn't go so well."

"He doesn't return your feelings?" Chat asks, already knowing what she was going to say.

"No! He-he loves someone else!"

"Marinette, I'm so sorry."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" she exclaimed, startling Chat as she whipped her head to face him. "Of course he'd like some other girl and not me! I'm an absolute idiot around him! He's embarrassed by me!"

Her grip tightened on the bars of the metal fencing, and she slid down to a crouching position. Ducking her head, fat tears began rolling down her cheeks once more. Chat sat, mouth open, his arms extended to reach out to her, but his feet wouldn't move. His body wouldn't let him approach her. He stared as his own heart began breaking further, tears building up in the rims of his eyes.

He wanted to confess. He hadn't even had time to process it, but he wanted to drop his transformation and profess his love for her. For so long, she had been rejecting him because she loved him, and he had rejected her today because he was in love with her. If they had just known-! ...Neither of them would have had to go through the heartache of rejection. But he can't say anything! It would only make things worse for Marinette, and he couldn't be selfish.

His muscles unlocked, and he practically collapsed onto her, embracing her as if she'd disappear if he let go. She tensed up under his touch, but quickly relaxed, leaning into him. It was weird to be embraced by him. As Ladybug, she knew him like she knew herself. But, as Marinette, it felt like they were only acquaintances. How strange considering Marinette and Ladybug are one and the same and memories carry through with both names about Chat Noir, hero of Paris.

She reached up, cupping her hand on his arm around her. They stayed like that for several minutes until Marinette didn't feel like crying anymore, at least for the time being.

"Thank you...for holding me," she mumbled, still looking down at the ground.

"Of course, Marinette. Do you want to go inside? The wind's picking up and I think it's going to rain soon."

"Yeah," she replied, gazing up at the dark sky.

Where stars had once been is now covered by dark clouds. She looked back to him and nodded, smiling. Moving past him, she walked over to the window hatch and opened it, climbing down into her room. When Chat didn't follow her, she stuck her head back up, making his heart flutter and cheeks burn under his mask.

"There are some leftover danishes and pastries that weren't sold today...They'll be thrown out otherwise, so do you want something to eat?"

"Sure!" Chat chirped, striding over and jumping down through the hole onto the bed.

Marinette, having momentarily waited for him with her legs tucked under her on top of her comforter, she smiles once more before moving down the steps to the rest of the bedroom.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

She descended through the trapdoor, closing it behind her. Chat moved off of the bed, walking around the room as he patiently waited for her return. Noticing the wastebasket filled to the brim, he strides over and picks one piece of paper up, unballing it and smoothing it out. His heart crumbles in its place as he stares at a picture of himself in his civilian wear. Curiosity killed the cat as he checked the other crumbled balls of paper, seeing his face time and time again.

"I broke her heart," he chokes, a lump in his throat.

Hearing approaching footsteps, he quickly fixes the wastebasket to look as how it did before he looked through its contents. He turned around, a smile on his face, just in time to greet her as she enters the room with a plate of assorted treats and sweets.

"I only grabbed the ones that were supposed to be cold, so sorry if you don't like these."

She set the small platter down on the desk beside where he was standing.

"Thank you! These look delicious! Are you sure you won't be able to sell these?" Chat asks, sitting down in the desk chair and resting the plate on his lap.

His eyes followed her like a hawk stalking a mouse as she sat down on the pink chaise. He redirected his gaze to his hands as he popped a chocolate into his mouth as she looked up at him. Rain began tapping against the windows, lulling his nerves slightly.

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out; no thoughts properly or even coherently formed in her head. Tikki resided in her purse, and the teen discreetly looked down at the small opening, knowing that the kwami will already be looking back at her. They shared a confused and concerned expression, which didn't help Marinette's bewilderment at her partner giving special and undivided attention to her civilian self.

"These were purrfect, Marinette. Thank you," Chat says, pulling her eyes back to him as he set the empty plate back down on the desk.

"Papa would have just thrown them away otherwise. I'm glad you liked them."

He didn't want to leave her alone, both because he was head-over-heels in love with her and also she might still be at risk of being turned into a monster. But he didn't have her improvisational skills and couldn't think of a reason to stay that wouldn't be suspicious.

"I should go now. You should sleep," he said solemnly, standing up and crossing over to the stairs.

Her head tilted with his movements as he climbed up onto the bed. Before he could open the skylight, he turned to look at her with the kindest expression he could muster while wearing a mask that obscured almost half his face.

"Goodnight, Marinette."

He pushed against the horizontal window and jumped up out into the rain. Snapping out of her brief daze, Marinette sprung up from the lounge chair and scrambled onto the bed. She opened the hatch to look out into the drizzling night, but he was already gone.

"Goodnight, Chaton," she said anyways before retreating into the warm, dry room below.

She collapsed down on her bed, covering her face with a pillow. The red kwami fluttered out from her typical hiding place to hover a few inches away from her wearer's head.

"That was weird, right, Tikki?" Marinette asked, moving the pillow so that her words weren't muffled.

"It really was, Marinette! Chat Noir's only visited you once before, and you two stayed outside the whole time!"

"Do you think he visits other people, too?"

"I don't think so! From what I could see, he was checking on you because he cared! It didn't seem like he was making his rounds or something like you two do during patrols!" the kwami explained, throwing her arms in the air for emphasis.

The question of "But why would he care about me?" dissolved on Marinette's tongue before she could voice it as her mind snapped back to Adrien and how he didn't care about her as she did him. Her body curled inward slightly at the reapproached topic, and her arms wrapped around her pillow tightly, not being able to hold it closely enough to replace the new empty feeling in her chest.

"He's right, you know; about sleeping. You've had a long day."

"Yeah, you're right, Tikki."

The god that was smaller than the cookies that she adored zoomed over to the light switch, flicking it off. She knew Marinette didn't have to energy to get back up and change into proper nightwear, so there was no point in waiting to darken the room.

"Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight, Tikki," Marinette replied after yawning.

Pulling the covers up to her neck, Marinette stared off into the darkness, thoughts and memories alike whirling past her faster than she could process why they crossed her mind. Part of her was still in shock that Adrien loved someone else. Part of her felt like an idiot for letting herself believe that he'd like her. Part of her wonders how she'll face him tomorrow. Part of her wonders if she even wants to. She was mortified; she had put herself out there, was completely vulnerable, and was utterly crushed by her crush. She inwardly cringed at her infatuation with Adrien and her pursuit of his courtship that afternoon.

Just a little exchange, small to say the least, and it had a huge impact on her. She always felt silly about it, but she had plans for futures with Adrien.

'But now, now all that's gone.'

There is no future with Adrien. His future will probably be with whatever girl he's in love with. The thought of that made Marinette's stomach turn, and she forced the thought out of her mind as a near-silent sigh escaped her lips.

Closing her eyes, she made her mind go blank until she fell into a restless sleep several minutes later.


	2. Suffering and Silence

Chat sat on the roof of the Dupain-Cheng bakery with his back to the chimney, out of sight of the balcony. His breathing was even, silent, but he did not feel peaceful. His mind was at war that raged on without his control, and his muscles were locked in place, filled with lead that weighed him down. His ears drooped with his mood, and his tail was limp at his side. His face brought new meaning to the word scowl, and he glared at a random spot on the roof.

Chat knew that Marinette was behind him, he knew that she was on the balcony, and he knew that her own heart was grieving; because of him. He dare not tell her anything, for she would surely turn him away distrustfully. He knew that she was Ladybug, and yet, when he thought of her, he felt unfaithful. He wanted to run away in the night to Ladybug, the heroine of Paris whose identity he didn't know.

He felt it, a turmoil of feelings; in the sun and in the wind as a unique chance, a magical twirl. It's a strong feeling when he thought about it, and he wanted to scream out to the rooftops in both joy and emotional agony.

'It's not the moment. You have to be patient. Be patient,' Chat thought to himself before peeking out behind the chimney to gaze at the back of Marinette's head, 'I know that one day we will fly because, my love, one day, you will see…'

He wanted the whole world to know that he loves her to the point of madness and he always will for all of infinity. But he couldn't, he couldn't do that to her. He understood that donning the mask was a scapegoat for her just as much as it was for him.

Certain as the sun setting in the West, he was frightened and unprepared. He wanted to know who she was so badly, but not like this; not without her consent or knowledge. He felt like an intruder, a traitor. He wanted to fix this, but he didn't know how. She wouldn't talk to him; that's a non-starter. Fighting supervillains was easy; this is impossible.

That day, she hadn't looked at him even once, as if he didn't exist. She never smiled, and he would've thought that she didn't know how to if he didn't already know her. He knew that she was just trying to keep her heart from aching further, but it broke him in the process.

'I deserve it.'

He knew she needed space, so that's why he didn't even make his presence known as Chat Noir. But he couldn't leave; he was so afraid that she would be akumatized. He would never, ever be able to forgive himself if that happened. He wanted to reach out, take her into his arms, and never let go.

He could do nothing.

Eventually, well into the night, she went to bed silently. Chat waited several minutes before returning to his own home, collapsing onto his bed before he even drops his transformation.

* * *

Two days after Adrien rejected Marinette, she still wasn't talking to him; she still didn't smile. Alya was just as quiet by her side and gazed on worriedly as Marinette existed and did nothing else. It was chilling the one time she looked directly at him; there was nothing behind her eyes, no life, no joy, nothing. It made Adrien want to curl up into a ball and make himself as small as possible so that he couldn't hurt her again.

Then, she showed up for patrol. She had missed the past couple of nights on the claim that she wasn't feeling well. He was shocked when she landed on the rooftop next to him, still not looking at him, though she didn't know who he was.

His voice came out weak and quiet when he greeted her, and she nodded in return. The air felt heavy though she was unaware of his tension with her. It was like she wasn't really there, and she made no attempt to create a facade. He couldn't blame her; he knew first-hand that heartbreak was exhausting. So many times throughout the night, his mouth would open to confess everything, but his jaw would snap shut again every time after no words came out.

It was so awkward, and he hated it. He hated every second of it that he was practically lying to his lady.

'What am I supposed to do?'

"Have you ever felt worthless, Chat? Like someone else was better than you, and you don't even know who she is?"

The question broke his heart, and he knew he had to play oblivious.

"She? What's going on, Bugaboo?"

"There's this...there's this boy, and I've been in love with him for as long as we've known each other. But...I told him how I felt and he said that there was somebody else."

She pressed her back against a chimney before sliding down to a sitting position, pulling her knees up to her chest. The moon shone on her as if it were a spotlight, and her raven-colored hair looked as if it were made of silk and her eyes were filled by the ocean itself. She was stunning, but she thought she was worthless. The word tasted bitter on his tongue.

He couldn't bear to look her in the eye, and his gaze fell to his feet.

"I know that it's shattering to have your heart broken, but you are not worthless, Ladybug; kind, brave, smart, selfless, not to mention that you're stunning. You are not worthless because you are incomparable," Chat said, speaking from the heart.

She didn't respond to him, so he steeled himself before walking in front of her and getting down on his knee, placing a hand on her shoulder as he looked her in the eyes.

"Life is complicated, ours especially, and, combining that with being teenagers, life can seem suffocating and lacking room for us. But we matter. I matter, and you matter. You are worth something. You are worth everything, at least to me. And, as long as one person finds value in you, doesn't that mean that you can find value in yourself?"

There were so many more things that he wanted to say, but he stopped himself at that upon seeing her face scrunch up slightly in contemplation of his words. Backing off, his ark falls to his side before he stands up, walking over to the edge of the building they resided on and looking out onto the rest of the city.

"Thank you, Chaton. Everything seems pretty quiet, so I'm going to go."

"Goodnight, Ladybug," he replied without looking at her.

He doesn't need to turn around to know that she's gone. His heart feels both lighter and heavier.

* * *

Marinette ignored Tikki's suggestion to go to bed once again, choosing to focus on her sketch instead; a black leather jacket with a high collar, shoulder pads, and zipper pockets. She didn't know why, but the design came to her head and she wanted to make it.

Hours slipped away as she switched from designing the piece to making it. Sleep eludes her so often, so she didn't bother trying that night; better to be productive than to get frustrated trying to do nothing. Finally, as the sun began peeking over the edge of the horizon, shining through her window, she finished the rim of the cuff on the second sleeve and stepped back to admire her work. Normally, it'd take her weeks to do something like this, but she was restless and inspired and thus leaned heavily on it to work as fast as her fingers would let her.

Satisfied with her work, she finally shuffled over to her bed, climbing up and under the covers and burying her face into her pillow. Though short, what sleep she got was peaceful.


	3. Disconnection and Dissatisfaction

Marinette could breathe again. Her future still felt a little uncertain without Adrien being in it the way that she had imagined, but it didn't feel like she was shrouded in darkness. No, she still couldn't look at him without tears threateningly pricking her eyes, but it was bearable. She was able to be close to normal around everyone else, and she was grateful for their love and support. But, still, sometimes she needed space. That's why, after sitting in on a part of a Kitty Section practice, she slipped down below deck so that she could breathe during their break.

Luka noticed, and he silently debated over whether to leave her alone or comfort her. Juleka had told him what Alya had told her about Marinette's confession to Adrien. He would have run to her right then and there to hug her and tell her that everything was okay had it not been the middle of the night. Though Luka didn't have any classes with Marinette, he had still seen how she lifelessly moved through the halls during breaks at school. He wanted to take out his guitar and play her the perfect melody to mend her broken heart, but he knew that it wasn't the right time. He would wait until she could figure herself out before trying to help her; he didn't want to make things even worse.

Luka opened the door to the room that he shares with his sister, and he finds Marinette on her bed, gazing out of a porthole at something that Luka couldn't see.

"Hey, Marinette."

"Oh, hey Luka! What's up?" she asked, smiling at him with a grin that didn't make her eyes twinkle like it usually did.

Crossing the room to sit down next to her, he pulls one leg up over the other, balancing his guitar in his lap.

"You've been feeling down lately, like this," he speaks evenly before strumming a few low notes that resonated within the guitar.

"I'm fine, Luka!"

"You don't have to be someone else when you're with me, Marinette. It's okay to be a little unsteady."

To emphasize his point, he purposefully botches a note, making her giggle. He smiles calmly at her, feeling relief at seeing her happy.

"Your laughter is like a calming wind chime in a small breeze," Luka muses.

Blush rises in Marinette's cheeks, and she tilts her head away, looking down.

"You always have such beautiful words, Luka."

"Good lyrics always come from what a musician truly feels. I can only say beautiful things because I am looking at something, or someone, beautiful."

He barely catches her small gasp as her shoulders tense up, and she turns back to look him in the eye once more. He takes one hand off of his guitar and lets it lay on the bed between them. He doesn't initiate contact but puts the situation in her hands. She knows that his hand is there, and she can choose whether to place her own hand over his or not.

"A musician is only as good as his inspiration," he coos, a smile tugging at his lips.

Leaning closer, he suppresses the urge to kiss her softly, tenderly. Even if she was the one who tried to kiss him, he would refuse. A wilting flower will still die if it is overwatered to compensate for neglect. Luka could see that she needed stability, a friend, and that's what he would be for her; that's all he would be for her for the time being.

"I should head back up to finish practice, but we can talk again afterwards if you would prefer."

"I'm better now; thank you."

Luka smiled once more, still not touching her, before standing up and leaving the room, not looking back in case she needed him not to.

* * *

Adrien's pen sat between his lips, hanging uselessly as he just stared at his textbook, unable to focus on a single word of his homework.

"What's wrong, Adrien? You've been staring at the same problem for five minutes!" Plagg exclaimed, fluttering around the boy's head before settling in front of him.

"I can't stop thinking about Marinette, Plagg," Adrien said solemnly, "I just can't help but worry about how she's doing."

"It'd be weird if you went as Chat Noir again."

"Yes, but she won't even look at me as Adrien, much less let me know how she's feeling...because of me."

"Hm. Yeah, your hands are pretty much tied. Might as well wait it out and eat Camembert!"

"Plagg! How can you even be thinking about cheese right now?"

"I'm just saying!" the kwami exclaimed before tossing a slice of the smelly food into the air to catch in his mouth.

Adrien sighed and braced his hands against the edge of the desk before pushing himself backwards, his chair sliding a few feet away. Tilting his head back to look at the ceiling, he digs his feet into the floor and slides himself back and forth slowly in a semi-circular swaying motion.

"Cheer up, kid; everything will eventually work itself out."

"How do you know that, Plagg?" Adrien asked, his voice rising slightly in frustration.

"Because Master Fu wouldn't have chosen two people who wouldn't be able to overcome everything."

At that, the boy smiled a bit, comforted by that. Still, his heart was heavy with guilt. Still, his head was ridden with frustration.

"I'm heading to patrol early. Plagg, claws out!"

Green absorbed him, and the comforting energy that came with the powers of the miraculous wrapped itself around him, encasing Adrien as the Black Cat resonated within his soul and transformed him. When the neon colors faded, Chat Noir stood vigilant before leaping out through the open window into the city beyond.

Running on all fours decreased wind resistance, and the superhero had an intense desire to go as fast as he could. He had no destination in mind, nor a person he was running to; he just needed to get away from the claustrophobic situation and the claustrophobic house. Quickly.

Some people spotted him on the streets below the rooftops, but he didn't stop, say anything, or even wave. His head was too full, too chaotic, to be polite. His heart pounded in his chest, and his wide eyes stung as the air whipped in his face. His breathing was deep and uneven, and his body already felt dehydrated. But, he couldn't stop. His woes were still chasing him, and they kicked him in the chest when he rounded the corner and saw the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

Shaking his head, he keeps running, putting as much distance as he could between himself and Marinette, between himself and Ladybug.

'I can't hurt her again!'

He ran, and he ran, and he ran. Time and space was irrelevant; he wasn't even sure if he was still in Paris. It didn't matter. Slowing down, his chest heaved as he panted loudly, collapsing on the roof that he not-so-gracefully landed on.

Laying on his back, he spread his arms and legs out as if he were floating in a pool. But he did not try to swim; his muscles were filled with lead, pinning him down. He did not try to resist. His eyes, gazing up at the darkening skies, glazed over, and all sound cancelled out except for his own blood rushing through his head. A hazy feeling washed over him, and he fought the urge to close his eyes and fall asleep right where he was.

Reality felt surreal as he came down from his adrenaline high, and his pupils wouldn't adjust properly, shrouding him in comforting darkness. His breathing evened out, and feeling slowly returned to his limbs.

"Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his lady," he quietly sung to himself, finding solace in the little song.

He wished he could take it back. He wished that Bunnix could take him back in time so that he could stop his mother from disappearing. Then, his family would be whole again, happy again. Maybe he could go back even further and prevent the downfall of the Guardian Temple in Beijing. Then there would be no Hawkmoth and Mayura, no akumas and amoks, and no need for a Ladybug and Chat Noir. Then, he would have been able to fall in love with Marinette as herself, and he never would have hurt her in his blinded rejection.

Letting out a heavy sigh that was loaded with acceptance over the fact that the past cannot be rewritten, Chat forced himself back onto his feet.

Forcing himself to go slow so as not to completely destroy his muscles, he makes his way back home before dinner, slipping back into his bedroom before anyone even notices that he was gone for the majority of the afternoon.


	4. Confessions and Conferences

Ladybug waited on top of a roof neighboring the Louvre, gazing up at the dark sky where the stars would be if it weren't for the City of Lights shining so bright. Right as she decided to turn in for the night due to inactivity, Chat lands beside her, and she immediately senses that something is wrong.

"Chat Noir? Is everything okay?" she asks, reaching out to her partner, prepared to catch him as he looked ready to faint.

"You know I can't lie to you, Bugaboo," he replies, his voice raspy.

Flags as red as her suit begin firing off in Ladybug's head, and her eyebrows furrow in worry.

"Chat?"

"Have you ever just...messed up really bad, and you don't know how to fix it? Like, normalcy is so close that you can almost grab it, but your own mistakes pull you back?"

"Kitty, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I know who you are," Chat speaks, barely above a whisper.

"What?" Ladybug asks, feeling as if the air was forcibly ripped from her lungs.

"I didn't mean to see, I swear!"

Suddenly, he was looking her right in the eyes, desperation and fear in his own. His face, even with the mask, was contorted, as if in physical pain as he continued to confess.

"I just wanted to see how you were after I hurt you, and I saw you talking to your kwami. Ladybug, I'm so, so sorry."

Chat collapses to his knees, burying his face in his hands as he trembled slightly, guilt burning him from the inside out.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he weeps, his chest heaving as his gloves become slick with his tears.

Ladybug stood, frozen where she was as utter horror and disbelief radiated on her face.

"I didn't mean to, I swear. I know I've asked to reveal our identities, but I would never, ever try to know yours without your permission. I would never want to hurt you like that, and I'm so, so sorry."

Chat leaned back, falling on his behind as he pulled his knees up to his chest, full-on sobbing at this point as he was wracked with guilt and shame as exhaustion from keeping such a big secret from the one he loved cascaded over him. His face was hot and red, and where his tears streamed down felt like fire on his skin, which just gave him more reason to cry.

He didn't know what compelled him to confess. He was so sure that he would take this secret to his grave so that he wouldn't hurt her further. But, here he goes; being selfish once again because she simply asked him what was wrong, showing that she cared about him. Maybe it was the split-second doubt over whether she still would if she knew that caused everything to crack within him. Whatever flipped the switch and turned him into a blubbery mess on the roof of a random building, it didn't matter. He told her that he knew, and now he was crying and vulnerable to her as she stood silently. The silence terrified him to the point that he didn't dare look up to try and see what she was thinking or if she was even really still there.

"When did you hurt me?"

"What?" Chat croaks, peering up from his hands.

"You said that, when you saw me with my kwami, you were checking up on me after you hurt me. When did you hurt me?"

"I-...I didn't mean that? I shouldn't have said that. I just keep messing everything up!" he snaps at himself, slapping the sides of his head, "Stupid! Stupid!"

"Say my name."

"Ladybug?"

"No. Say my...real name. My civilian name."

"Ladybug-"

"Please. Maybe-Maybe you didn't see right. Maybe you don't actually know who I am," Ladybug said, speaking quickly and gesturing randomly with her hands.

Chat stands up, pain and sorrow in his eyes. He slowly walks over, his lips trembling.

"Marinette," he whispers.

Ladybug gasps, her head dropping as defeat chokes her.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, neither of them directly looking at each other anymore.

Ladybug's eyelids grow heavy as she struggles to stay standing, feeling as if her energy was seeping through the roof she was standing on.

"I can't believe this," she says, her eyes slowly shifting back and forth horizontally.

"I'm...I'm so sorry," Chat says between struggles to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Come on," Ladybug mumbles, her mouth dry.

She swings her yo-yo, giving it a tug before flying off into the air. Chat Noir hesitates for a moment before following after her, nearly sliding down his baton due to feeling as if his muscles were made of jelly. He didn't understand where they were going, and he was only more confused when they dropped into an alleyway.

"Spots off."

A pink light absorbs Ladybug, and it fades to reveal Marinette, still scowling in thought as she looked around. For both of them, it was absolutely bizarre for her to detransform in front of him, but there was no time to sift through their feelings.

"Stay here," she whispers.

All he can do is oblige as he watches her leave the alleyway and round a corner. Out of sight, he's able to hear a door open and close, but he wasn't sure if it was her or someone else nearby.

Marinette hesitated in the hallway, her hand stuck in the air as she couldn't will herself to knock.

"It's okay, Marinette," Tikki whispers in reassurance.

"Right," she breathes.

The teen's heart stopped when she heard Master Fu's "Come in," and her hand slid off the doorknob when she first tried to open it.

"Marinette! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Fu asked cheerfully before seeing the grave look on the girl's face.

"Chat Noir figured out my identity. He saw me talking to Tikki when he looked through my bedroom window. Now, he's waiting in the nearby alleyway while I get instructions from you."

"This is very serious, Marinette. Are you sure he knows who you really are?"

"Yes, Master. He was able to say my real name while I still had my mask on."

"I see. Go back to him and tell him to come inside with Plagg, his kwami. As for you, I want you to stay in the vicinity but out of sight. I will talk to Chat Noir, and he will signal to you when I've made up my mind on what to do."

"Yes, Master."

Marinette and Tikki turn to leave when Fu speaks up again.

"Stay here, Tikki. I'll need your input as well."

Teen and kwami share a glance before the latter smiles weakly and flutters back to the center of the room, choosing to hover by Wayzz. Returning to the alleyway, Marinette relays the instructions before walking away so that she can't see Chat's civilian form. Once she's far enough away, Chat lets out a shaky breath.

"Plagg, claws in."

A flash of green and the teen and kwami defuse to be separate once again. Adrien steels himself before approaching the building that Marinette pointed out, and he holds his breath as he opens the first door and knocks at the second.

"Come in."

Adrien had met the master before, but interactions were brief. He felt truly in the dark over what was to come. He eases the door open to see the short, old man standing by the window with his hands clasped behind his back. Adrien couldn't help but notice that Tikki was in the room along with a green kwami.

"Sit down, Adrien," Fu says before turning around and approaching the mat.

Adrien obeys, sitting down and crossing his legs.

"You wanted to see me, Master?" he asks weakly, his eyes trained on the floor.

"You know who Ladybug's civilian identity is."

"Yes."

"You found out on accident."

"Yes."

"You told Ladybug that you knew as soon as you found out?"

"...No, sir."

"Why not?"

Adrien looks up to see Fu sitting across from him, an unreadable expression on the master's face.

"I...I had already hurt her, and I knew that my knowing would only hurt her more."

"You do understand that, if Hawkmoth were to come to an understanding that you know who Ladybug is, he could use one of his akumas to manipulate you to reveal who she really is."

"Yes, sir."

"And that would put not only her, but the people she loves in danger as well."

"I know," Adrien chokes, gripping his knees tightly as he grit his teeth so that he wouldn't cry again.

"You made a decision without her, about her, once before. Now, I am asking you to do it again."

Adrien felt ready to throw up, and he was sure he looked the part since Plagg nuzzled up against his neck.

"You have my permission to take Ladybug's miraculous."

"What?" Adrien blanched.

"You have two options, Adrien. You can either take her miraculous, preventing her from becoming Ladybug ever again, or you can continue on as you were, constantly putting her in danger as long as you know who she really is."

"It's not fair! Neither of us meant for me to find out!"

"I know," Fu says calmly, holding up his hand to quiet Adrien down, "but the irreversible fact is that you have found out."

"But why do I have to be the one to choose?"

"Because we both know that, when it comes to Ladybug, you won't dare to make the wrong decision. There's a saying that love blinds, but, if I'm correct, your love for Ladybug will guide you to what will truly be the right call."


	5. Acceptance and Adoration

Adrien left the studio, solemnly closing the door behind him. Both Plagg and Tikki followed him into the adjacent alley, and he meekly transformed before launching off to find Marinette.

"The right call…" Chat murmurs, his words unheard over the wind.

Quickly, he spots Marinette out in the open, standing alone in the middle of the Pont des Arts, directly under a street lamp. He shares a glance with Tikki before springing over, not possessing the energy to pull on a smirk. When he lands with a thud on the bridge, Marinette looks over, not dropping her crossed arms.

"So?" she asks dryly, and, with a slight tilt of her head, Chat sees a glimmer in her eyes that he wished he would never have to see again.

He stayed quiet for a moment, not realizing that she was interpreting it as an answer rather than a lack of one.

"I see...Goodbye, Tikki," Marinette says with a weak smile before taking her earrings out, already presenting them in her open palm before Chat can process what she did.

'Don't do what is best for you. Do what is best for her,' Chat thinks to himself.

He steps up to her, taking her hand in both of his as he met her gaze.

"Even with all of this, you were the best partner I could have asked for," Marinette says, her voice trembling along with her lower lip, "And I know, whoever the next Ladybug will be, you two will take down Hawkmoth and save everyone. I know it, Chaton."

Chat's jaw tenses as she cups his cheek in his hand, and he blinks away the tears of his own.

'Do what is best for her.'

"I don't care about the next Ladybug. You and I are going to defeat Hawkmoth together, side-by-side; because we're partners, and we stick it out together until the end," Chat says slowly, curling Marinette's fingers over her palm, over the earrings.

"But-! You know my identity! Master Fu said-!"

"-That it's up to me. Fu said that the choice is up to me, because he knows that, when it comes to you, I'd never make the wrong decision."

"Chat Noir…?"

"Put your earrings back in, m'lady, and please stop crying," Chat says softly, using his finger to wipe away a tear rolling down her cheek, "Such beautiful eyes like yours should not be subjected to sorrow."

Hesitantly, Marinette puts her earrings back in, releasing Tikki.

"Let me take you home. I at least owe you that."

With her nod of approval, Chat picks Marinette up bridal-style. Holding her close to his chest, Chat extends his baton, lifting them up into the air. The bakery was only a short trip away, and he found his feet connecting with the concrete of the balcony with a jolt, the journey ending too soon.

He gently placed her on her feet, and they both stood awkwardly, Tikki having fluttered off to give them space. Chat takes a deep breath, lightly picking a flower out of a nearby vase while sliding down to be on one knee as he takes one of Marinette's hands, presenting the flower to her. He looked up at her, hoping that the genuinity he felt in his heart was being somewhat served justice with his eyes and expression.

"Princess, since the day we met, I've known that not only do I want you to fight for justice with me, but that you're the kind of person that I want to have as my best friend for life. And I think I must be the luckiest black cat in the whole world since I get to call you that.

"You are kind, brave, smart, and selfless; Paris couldn't have asked for a better hero just as I couldn't have asked for a better partner. Through thick and thin, for better and for worse, until the very end, I'd give everything just to continue to stay by your side if you'll still have me."

"Chat Noir…"

"All of me, Marinette," Chat said, refusing to let himself look away.

They gaze at each other for a moment before she takes a deep breath and nods once again, allowing him to continue with what he was trying to do.

"Plagg, claws in."

When the green light fades, Adrien smiles softly up at Marinette, on one knee and holding out a flower to her with one hand while the other rests over his heart.

"Classmate, partner, best friend," Adrien says, feeling as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest as Marinette continued to stare down at him with wide eyes.

He takes a sharp breath when she suddenly throws herself at him, dropping to her knees and wrapping her arms around his shoulders in an embrace.

"The best of friends," she finishes.

He wraps his arms around her as well, and the two just hold each other for a few moments, their eyes squeezed shut.

"I love you, Marinette, in whatever way you need me to."

"I love you, too, Adrien…"

After another beat, Marinette leans back, and the two gaze into each other's eyes for a moment before she slowly leans in, and the two kiss softly, still in their embrace.


End file.
